Posted on 12/17/2009 2:48:19 PM PST by listenhillary
Former New Mexico Republican Gov. Gary Johnson is a teetotaling triathlete who looks the part of the laid-back Mountain West politician.
But don’t let the jeans and black mock turtleneck he's sporting on his new website fool you: Johnson is starting to sound like a mad-as-hell populist with an eye cast on 2012 and the building fury aimed at Washington.
“I’m finding myself really angry over spending and the deficit,” he said in an interview with POLITICO this week. “I’m finding myself really angry over what’s happening in the Middle East, the decision to stay in Afghanistan indefinitely. I’m angry about cap and trade. And I’ve been on record for a long time on the failed war on drugs.”
Is that enough to design a presidential campaign around? It might be, at a time of tea parties, rage at bailouts, job loss and general voter discontent. And there is plainly an opportunity for some politician to harness the anti-establishment, populist grass-roots fervor that is right leaning but untethered to any party at the moment.
It’s what Ron Paul tried to do in last year’s presidential campaign, but Johnson may better positioned to ride the populist wave than the longtime Texas GOP congressman. For one thing, the anti-establishment energy was not at the fever pitch then that it’s nearing now. And, unlike the unlikely Paul, a 73-year-old who got interested in elected politics when Richard Nixon abandoned the gold standard in 1971, Johnson is telegenic, is media savvy and, equally important, has twice been easily elected to statewide office.
(Excerpt) Read more at dyn.politico.com ...
I've been on the other side also. We should take the fight to those who wish us harm, but we are fighting an idea of Jihad against the West. How do you identify enemies that do not wear uniforms and have no home country?
I actually like Former Gov. Johnson on a personal level; I was having business trouble with the OCD (oil related) in New Mexico.
I don’t think he would get support here or nationally.
Years ago, on a fluke I ended up calling his office, GOT HIM (he answered his own phone), and he cut through the crap and probably save about 100 people’s jobs from stupid gubmint workers.
He is a true libertarian, though, as in, he doesn’t want abortion to be regulated by the Federal government at all, wants the government out of the drug enforcement, etc.
After Obama, he’d be just he guy to cut out about 2/3 of the federal government, but he is no social conservative.
Do you think that the social conservatives interests would be served if managed to significantly cut two thirds of the federal government?
Oh God, just what we need! /*sc One more Ron Paul.
Staying within our borders and letting the world take its’ course is not realistic. We engaged enemies with intelligence gained from boots on the ground interacting with the locals to whom we have become familiar as allies. Ron Paul would have us pull all our forces back home, and privatize the military. Bad ideas. Wars are fought in stages. Combat, stabilization, and defense. Iraq is in the stabilization stage. Afghanistan still in the combat phase. Perhaps if we had aided the Afghanis after the defeat of the Russians, rather than pulling our resources, then we might not be there today.
Ping.
...who can be found traversing the East Mountains in a cloud of cannibis smoke, looking for someone who knows how to fix a flat on his tryke.
It’s good to know who the next Ron Paul is. That’s a curiousity. When you find the next Ronald Reagan please let us all know. Hopefully he won’t have experienced cocaine and will have experienced at least some time in our military.
I do think their interests would be furthered, as social conservatives would have much more strength at the state level.
But I don’t think social conservatives would deem him “pure” enough and would attack him as a result.
Federalism is equally foreign to the right as the left.
I’d like to see a quick reaction force that goes in and targets our enemies. Spend more money on intelligence rather than maintaining boots on the ground in 135 countries.
New Mexico list PING!
(Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the list.)
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I’m all for fighting the baddies in their sandlots.
On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, I’m not so sure.
I take Sunday off.
If the Bush administration had been any good at finishing wars, we wouldn't be here talking about Obama surrendering the battlefield.
The war is keeping you safe in the Land of Enchantment. I don't understand how people who are not fighting the war are the ones who get tired of it, not the soldiers and Marines themselves. Buchanan and Paul are throwbacks to the pre-imperialist 19th century, and I say Thank God Teddy Roosevelt moved us past that provincial mindset.
No thank you to another Ron Paul. And on that subject, what has Paul actually DONE in his years in Congress. He sure screeches a lot but has he done anything to cut back spending? Not that I have noticed. In fact, I guarantee he has garnered plenty of pork for his district or he wouldn't ever get re-elected.
Ron Paul is a sandbagging pain in the butt nutjob.
Yeah. I always go to Politico when I am interested in what is going on and what is good for conservatives.
Not.
How are those ROE working out? Why fight a war and tie our soldiers hands?
Wars fought in this way aren’t worth the sacrifice of our sons and daughters. If we are going to fight wars, fight them and get it done.
Not.
LOL,
I couldn't have said it better.
IMHO, whoever gets high praise by Politboro.com should be listed in the "never, ever, ever" column by Conservatives.
Look at what Gary Johnson has accomplished. You can research it.
As difficult as that may be, I truly think our intel people and military have been managing to keep the terrorists weak~ which makes it very hard for them to plan and launch an effective attack on our soil. It does seem to drag on, but since we are too politically correct for our own good this seems to be the only way.
If we just call it quits and bring our forces home I believe it will be a major mistake and when enough time has passed for the terrorists to regain their pre-9/11 strength we will be fiercely attacked. This long war as terrible as it is- is not the worst that can happen to this country.
That sounds like a good plan, but quick reaction forces need to be in the neighborhood to be effective. Quick reaction forces also need supplies and communication and other resources that also need to be in the neighborhood. Think about it- how effective would it be to have your local police or fire department in another state? How about another country?
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